Electrically driven clock



July 3, 1934.

Filed NOV. 2, 1931 Patented July 3, 1934 PATENT OFFICE 1,964,857 ELECTRICALLY' DRIVEN CLOCK Otto Neumann, Berlin, Germany, assignor Max Abraham Halle, Berlin, Germany Application November 2, 1931, Serial No. 572,667

In Great Britain 2 Claims.

This invention relates to electrically driven clocks of the kind in which the movements of the ratchet wheel of the clock gear are eifected by meansof a .contact pin connected with a coil on the balance wheel spindle. object is to produce a small clock which will work in any position without a pendulum.

According to the inventionthe contact pin of the balance wheel coil is arranged to actuate the ratchet wheel directly without the intervention of a lever, contact tongue, or spring, the teeth of the ratchet wheel being adapted to act as contacts to close and open the electric circuit. On the spindle of the said ratchet wheel is secured a second ratchet wheel of the same shape and size but slightly staggered in relation to the first ratchet wheel and insulated therefrom, so that on the return oscillation the contact pin only touches the second ratchetwheel without closing the circuit. A star wheel on the same spindle is in contact with a spring insulated from the clock frame and connected with one of the electrical conductors, which spring at each oscillation gives way sumciently to enable the contact pin to reach the next following tooth gap in the first ratchet wheel and to eflect the forward movement-of rotation. The coil on the balance wheel is connected with the other electrical con- In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the

same will now be more fully described with refs erence to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1represents in rear elevation a clock embodying the invention, with the casing removed. I

Figure 2 represents a section taken on the line 2-2 in Figure 1 to illustrate such parts of the clock as are necessary for the explanation of the invention.

Figure 3 is a detail view representing the ratchet wheels and'contact pin in one position, and Figure 4 is a similar view representing the said parts in another position. v

Fig. 5 is a yiew on an enlarged scale of the magnet coil and adiac'ent parts. g

A and B represent frame members of the clock, connected together by stays 8. A spindle 1- is rotatably mounted in the said frame and provided with a pinion 11 by which the wheels actuating theclock hands are driven. A horseshoe magnet C is suitably secured to the member A, and carries a frame D, comprising insulating' washers E. In the frame Q is mounted" Its chief November 3, 1930 (C1. 58-28) the spindle F of the balance wheel G, on which I is indicated at g. The coil is made without an iron core in order to avoid disturbance of the working of the clock by external magnetic influences or terrestrial magnetism. The spindle F may be made of brass with steel or tungsten pins at each end; On the coil 9 is a contact pin 10. On the spindle 1 is secured a ratchet wheel 2, and another ratchet wheel .3 having on its boss a star wheel 4 is insulated from the wheel 2 by a washer 5. The teeth of the wheel 3 are slightly staggered in'relation to those of the wheel 2. A blade spring 6 insulated from the frame member B by one or more washers 7 bears on the star wheel 4. The positive electrical conductor H is connected with the spring 6, and the negative conductor J is connected with the member d of the frame ID.v

The magnet vcoil 9 is wound on a paper-body 11 (see Figure 5) fitted on the spindle F between two insulating washers 16, 1'7, and enclosed in a brass tube 12, a tube of paper 15 being interposed between the coil and the said tube 12. The ends of the brass tube are closed by vulcanite caps 13, 14, through the centres of which the spindle F passes, the contact pin 10 being secured in the cap 14. One end of the wire constituting the coil is attached to the inner end of the pin 10 and the other end thereof to the spindle F'. The said spindle may be made of non-magnetic material such as tungsten or molybdenum, or as aforesaid may be made of brass with steel points at each end. This specific construction of the magnet coil and adjacent parts forms no part of the present invention, and any equivalent form or forms may be substituted therefor.

On the forward oscillation of the coil 9 the contact pin 10 engages the wheel 3 as n in Figure 3, whereby the electrical circuit is cl sed through 6,4, 3, 10, 9F and il and the pin 10 rotates the wheel 3 to the extent of one tooth, and the spindle 1 to the same extent. The spring 6 yields slightly and engages the next tooth gap of the star wheel 4. On the return oscillation of the balance wheel G and coil 9, the pin 10 engages the ratchet wheel 2 as seen in Figure 4, and the circuit is broken; the wheels return so that the contact 1 or by alternating mainl current, in which latter case'a transformer would probably be necessary to step down the voltase.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:- a

1. In an electrically driven clock, a clock gear spindle, two ratchet 'wheels or identical size insulated from each other secured on said spindle, the teeth of the second oi. said wheels being stag-' gered in relation to 'the teeth of the first of said said'second ratchet wheel a spring contact piece engaging said star wheel, an oscillatory spindle,.a

, coil thereon having a contact pin to engage the second of saidratchet wheels to close an electrical circuit through said second wheel, star wheels, a star wheel carried on the boss of the The clock can be driven byd'i'rect currentwitl'ra choke coilor the like,

wheel, andcohtact piecaand 0 advance all said wheels to'the extent or one tooth, said pin being adapted on the return oscillation to engage said first ratchet wheel, without closing the circuit and to move said first ratchet wheel slightly in order to pass into the next tooth gap, said spring contact being adapted to return the wheels the same slight amount to restore the wheels tor'co-action with said pin during thenei't oscillation of the latter. 2, A clock as in claim 1, wherein the coil on the spindle which oscillates in the field of a magnet is made without an iron. core in order to prevent the working t the clock from being disturbed by external magnetio-influencesoi terrestrial magnetism.

. OTIO NEUMANN. 

